Comments on: Five good reasons to move to France

By: Ellie

Ellie — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:13:36 +0000

I moved to the USA nine years ago. It was difficult at first since it is so much different then Eastern Europe. It took me few years – now I love it – I’m so used to it now. From everywhere I’ve been -France is the place I remember the most. I don’t speak French – it would be an effort to adapt – it is getting harder to move around the world now with the kids. May be some day I’ll pack the cases again. Never say never

By: Boris

Boris — Mon, 25 May 2009 09:26:46 +0000

Good tale Ellie, you’re right and a lot of people confuse the two. But on the other hand I have a very happy face and have lived here eight years…

By: Ellie

Ellie — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:38:58 +0000

There was an old joke: Group of angels were given a tour into hell. They liked the hell – drinks, chicks, casinos… so they decided to immigrate from the paradise. As soon as they entered the hell – the devils threw them into the fire. What happened to the chicks and drinks? Don’t confuse tourism with immigration
I love France – been in Paris twice – the first time 1998 during the World Cup – Zizou, people on the street – one of the greatest experiences I ever had. The idea of moving to France is a totally different thing – little everyday inconveniences can add up into a sad face

By: Boris

Boris — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:30:24 +0000

Ditto that. And I imagine a good meal in Tokyo also costs a very large amount more than I pay for a good meal around here.

By: Jon Doust

Jon Doust — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:58:01 +0000

Tokyo is the most starred city in the world, it is true, but does not have more stars than France as a whole (227 vs 529). But if French cusine is in such terminal decline, should we take any notice of the stars anyway?

France has been “about to fall” in the wishful thinking of her detractors for as long as I can remember and yet still manages to come in with the sixth highest GDP in the World. Give two years and nothing will have changed.

By: Boris

Boris — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:36:33 +0000

Thanks for your comments Dave – do you live in France by the way? Or have you?
It’s true that France has many problems and it’s often very hard for us to understand the French way of doing things (especially continual strikes, bossnapping that actually gets results etc). And yes the economy is almost certainly ‘broken’ in ways that will be very hard to fix. eg Renault cars cost an extra 1000 euros if they are built in France, because of taxes and social contributions for staff, the average tax levied on companies in France is two times higher than the average in other developed countries etc…in part to support a very large number of civil servants and bureaucrats. These are substantial problems that won’t go away, because they make French goods uncompetitive, and as you say will perhaps ‘break’ the country in due course.
But you have overlooked the many good aspects of France – the French focus on family and community values, the relaxed attitude to life, the lack of obsession with material goods, the health and education systems, the scenery, the weather. France is still a very good place to live.
I am not aware of any country that is even close to being perfect – but if it does exist let me know and I’ll be off!

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:08:37 +0000

Daniel …. exactly where in France do you plan to live? Do you know how far it is from Paris to the Med Coast? I have driven it and it is a very, very long trip. I can do it in 3 hours from London… although not in a car.

Jeepers peeps… Open your eyes.. The country and its inhabitants are a joke, give it 2 years and the the chat will be out of the bag… The country is broke, its people go on strike at the least hint of any reforms, it can’t afford its own pensions and Tokyo has more Michelin Stars than ALL of France!!!

No longer can it keep illegally subsidising its joke of an airline God help poor old KLM… Its three main car producers, which employ so many are now suffering more than any other manufaturers and due to the fact that they are already subsidised the bail out for them is basicvally impossible.

Gig is up…. Just like at one time we would say in the Uk that all Japanese electrical goods were ‘Jap Junk’ and now we know Jap is excellent …so now we should be saying France is not the place for good food, chique and all the rest of it… Things change… the French just hid the change and bluffed their way through most of the last 25 years. Jeepers… what other country encourages its Presidents to have affairs and even gives the top job to a man who actually served in the Vicey gouvernment during the Nazi occupation???

The French have managed a facade for 50 years and now it is falling… soon to shatter…

As one might say ‘Black is the new pink’ one could say that the French are the new Brits of the new millenium… there to be detested by the rest of the world.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:56:50 +0000

Maybe it’s not as complicated as you think. Maybe upon living amoungst them many British people find that the French are intollerably rude, ignorant and unpeasant. I shall avoid the jokes about body odour but it is interesting to note that there is less soap sold in France than in any other country in Europe.

Frankly I love the country but find its people awful. Kinda like Newcastle I suppose.

Lets not complicate things.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:43:54 +0000

Brilliant…Love a positive spin…Am I stupidly insane to still want to move to France while I am still young enough to enjoy walking the Paris streets or hitting the Cote D’azur beaches??? Even coming from the alleged land of milk and honey here in Australia? Je m’en fous….the wine and bread and attitude to life are incentive enough!

By: Kevin Phoenix

Kevin Phoenix — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:41:32 +0000

Fortunately my girls are old enough to do there own shopping and, in which case, they can spend their own money.

Please don’t encourage yet more Brits to come to France to live, aren’t there enough of us here already?